Quote from a Book to get me started writing

“LURE DON’T MANIPULATE!”   This is straight from the book: “51 Puppy Tricks” by Kyra Sundance and Jadie.  For the record with baby puppies I agree.  With a young pup they need to be taught the correct things.  We need to help them understand what body position we want from them!  So we “lure” them into the proper behavior!  Most dogs like a treat and are willing to do anything we ask when use food (THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS).  There are a million sites out there that teach you how to lure the dog into offering you behavior!  A long with this luring is the coaching!  SIT, SIT SIT OH GOOD DOG ARENT YOU SMART BLAH BLAH BLAH!  In my humble opinion, most folks jabber way to much to dogs.  Babies and puppies turn us into blathering idiots! When they are young I would imagine most of it sounds like a foreign language and sometimes the way a word is pronounced… it simply makes us smile or a dog just happens to give us that behavior!  The problem is a smile or a pup offering a behavior doesn’t mean we have communicated with them about what we ask them to do in the first place!

Which brings me to my question and I hope some one can TRULY ANSWER THIS FOR ME.  I AM OPEN TO HEAR THE ANSWER!  However, I expect the answer to be backed up with proven results!  What I want to know HOW TO QUIT USING FOOD AS A LURE AND MOVE THEM TO A REWARD BASED SYSTEM without any manipulation on the human’s part?  How far has that manner of teaching taken you?   How do you get CONSISTENT RELIABLE RESULTS through a reward only system?

 I would love to see an OPEN and HONEST discussion on training methods but it seems to me that the much of the dog world just is divided into 2 huge camps!  A POSITIVE TRAINING CAMP where any other methods are considered cold, cruel, harsh, and a whole bunch of other things.  The opposite of this is the FORCE TRAINING CAMP!  They seem to think that the only way you can get a dog to do anything reliably is through force.  Talking to the extremist of either side is like talking to the wall!  THEIR WAY IS RIGHT AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT! 

So where does that leave those of us that are somewhere in between???  I have to be honest here.  There are many times even with a successful as I have been in the dog world where I feel like I just plain don’t fit in and plain don’t get it!   I am a huge advocate of “RELATIONSHIP” with dogs!  Just as relationship with people there are highs and lows, there is love and discipline, and there needs to be BALANCE!  NOTHING IS THIS WORLD is all good and nothing is all bad.   Hooter taught me one thing that I will always and ever more do….I will love a dog enough that I will not give up on it!  I don’t want the dog to be the best in any one thing I simply want the dog to give me the best they have!  I am going to work to unlock every piece of potential that dog has no matter what that takes!  I am going to work to figure out how BEST that dog learns and teach it that way!  I only hope that I live long enough to learn all the many ways that there are to communicate and teach a dog!

Lessons learned the hard way

Most everything I know I learned the hard way! It is just who I am!  Over the years I have gotten use it and learned to accept that is how I learn best.  The hardest lessons usually leave the biggest imprint on my memory!

I honestly think that is true for most people…otherwise there would not be consequences for our actions! Think about it…we are hard wired to do things the hard way. Consequences have never bothered me much UNTIL AFTER THE FACT.  The threat of a consequence has never been as effective as the full action of a consequence!  How many times do we hear when we are out: ”STOP! DON’T DO THAT!  YOU ARE GONNA GET HURT!  I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU OUTSIDE!  YOU ARE GOING TO GET A SPANKING WHEN YOU GET HOME! “  The list could go on and on.  We learn pretty early when someone REALLY MEANS IT! 

It might be a look, a tone, or the general way they are holding their body…but something down deep knows when business is meant!  I have a big secret to share with you all….DOGS ARE FAR BETTER AT THIS THAN ANY HUMAN!  The smart dogs are the worst at this , they play us like a cheap violin!  I hate to say this but a ummm not so smart dog would never dream to think about doing something they were told not but a smart well they give you the “middle paw” quite often!

IF YOU ARE ANTI HUNTING....READ NO FURTHER!

Some of them are quit EVIL about this!  This was how I learned this lesson the HARD WAY!  When I got serious about training dogs I had a little chocolate lab named Hooter!  Hooter, bless her heart, made me a dog trainer!  I read EVERY THING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON and this dog would eat the pages and spit them back out at me!  I talked and had private lessons with many a qualified professional and she left many of them scratching their head as well!  I am serious I tried everything that was ever recommended to me with this dog….but until the day this dog passed away when she decided she was going to mess with you she would and she didn’t care about consequences either!  In the end she was a pretty amazing dog in spite of how SMART she was.  

I know there are folks out there who think I am exaggerating this…but I can give you a list of names of those who have “Hooter” stories and who were outsmarted by this little dog!   This little dog was a physically tough dog!  At a field trial event she ran so hard and fast that when she miscalculated a jump she drilled herself into a ledge but got back up and went and got the bird.  When I went to send her for the 2^ndbird of the double I could tell she wasn’t quite right and wouldn’t really focus in on anything.  She had a concussion!  I didn’t know dogs could get a concussion! When handling her to a blind once in awhile she would get this glint in her eyes (you knew she was about to middle paw you).  You would blow a stop whistling give her a directional cast and she would go the opposite way just to mess with you!  Hooter weighed 45 pounds soaking weight!  She also had the heart and fight of a badger!  She was not big enough to retrieve a swan in the proper way of grasping the breast so she would grab them by neck or feet and drag them back.  I once watched her DROWN a not quite dead bird before she brought it back!  Quit was not in her vocabulary!! Hooter drilled into me that no matter how well trained a dog is they are still going to be dogs and THAT THEY NEED TO BE DOGS!

Her daughter LOCO was not quite as tough as her mother but she still was to smart for her own good and she would gladly give you the middle paw!  After coming off of the line at a hunt test that she failed miserably by BREAKING (didn’t wait for me to send her) and then DRAGGING ME ON MY BELLY FOR 20 feet by breaking again on the honor on lead I listened to 2 professionals arguing over which dogs they would rather have to run than my dog! 

Fortunately what Loco and Hooter taught me was that is okay to have a dog that is not brilliant!  I am not saying that any of my other dogs have not been smart and amazing but I am saying that brilliance has its own problems!  Especially when it is combined with a sense of humor!

Folks we all learn lessons the hard way some are easier to swallow than others, but what is key is do we retain that knowledge! Do we not keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.  I hope you are more like me, Hooter, and Loco….find new mistakes to make and HAVE FUN WHILE DOING IT!  CONSEQUENCES BE DAMNED ONCE IN AWHILE it gives us something to laugh about!

How To Pick A Pup!

Picking a puppy is an exciting thing! However, way to many people pick a pup with their heart and not their head!  A puppy’s cute eyes or sweet breath and the deal is sealed!  

This is absolutely the wrong way to pick a pup even a pup that is just going to be a pet!  

I have been asked many times by various folks how I pick pups for myself and for others! So I decided to write on this.  The first thing I advice is sitting down and get to know yourself!  What is your lifestyle?  What is your personality?  What do you want to do with the dog?  Do you plan on getting involved in dog activities or do you only want a cuddle buddy? How big is your living space?  How committed to activity and responsibility are you?

The next step is to research out what breed of dog you are interested in.  The American Kennel Club has a great site on dog breeds!  http://www.akc.org/breeds/complete_breed_list.cfm

If purebred is not what you are wanting there are often rescue associations that are devoted to that breed, a quick internet search is bound to give you results.  There are many good mixed breeds at about every shelter in the county!  Please find something suited to WHO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IS!  A good trainer can help any situation but if you get something that fits you from the word go you will be a much happier!

Most reading this site want to know what I look for in diabetic alert dogs.  Over the course of the years of breeding dogs I have gravitated towards matching the best pup to their perspective owners who I have either spent a lot of time talking with or who have answered a detailed questionnaire.  With the pups that I raise I have a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that go into each litter and I want people to have SUCCESS and I want my pups to have a forever home where they are wanted and loved!  But I also have assisted many folks in finding their perfect diabetic alert dog from other breeds!  Once again I get to know the people before I go look at puppies!  But in my humble opinion you want for the most part to find a nice “middle of the road” puppy! A good breeder is going to have those mostly all of those kind of pups, but there are breeders who don’t have a clue what they are doing but are happy to tell you that is what their pups are.  In the end all that truly matters to them is the money!

For a diabetic alert dog you want a nice “middle of the road” pup that has a good nose,   You want a puppy that is very balanced in nature!  You don’t want the pup that is dominant and bullying not do you want the pup that cowers in fear!  You want a  pup that wants to please you, wants to be with you, but yet at the same time is willing to explore and think for themselves.  These are usually the pups that are curious but then they look back to see where you are. The foundation for a good diabetic alert dog is curious about the surroundings but isn’t totally afraid.  They may pause, lean into it but they don’t hackle up not do they go find the nearest corner to hide in.  I look for a pup that likes food rewards but isn’t trying to tear you hand off to get it.  I also look for a pup that has good problem solving abilities.  When I am evaluating a litter I look for the pup that figures things out, they may think on their feet or be pensive but I like a pup that will think!  I also look for a pup that shows a good nose!  I don’t mind them using their eyes but their nose is where the money is at in this field!  The scent isn’t important but liking the diabetic is a bonus! From this point I then start looking for things that make the match to the person or family I am looking for.   Slight differences in personality can help make the perfect in home.  Sometimes a family needs a puppy that will fit them to perfection.  Other times that need something that will change them to grow!  Sometimes the size and the sex of the dog matters to families!  You need to think about this!   Strong willed of either sex is usually not a good idea if you are not into training!  Males GENERALLY mature slower and take longer to pick things up when they are young!  However, when they “get it”, they “have it”!  Females GENERALLY are quicker about learning things.  They usually put things together faster and they come into their bodies at younger age. However I have watched many a female dog decide that the only person she is going to listen to is the dominant male in the house!  Usually this occurs when the male household leader is fairly strong willed and dominant while the lead female is more passive! 

These are just a few of the things that I look at when choosing puppies!  As someone who has been in the pup game for a while there is another situation that you always watch for.  That is when a PUPPY PICKS IT’S OWNER!   It doesn’t happen often but it does happen!  When you are privileged to see this happen it will bring you to your knees! I have seen it happen 3 times in the roughly 20 years of being in the dog world!  The first time a friend of mine brought his kids over shortly after puppies were born!  These kids had been around my dogs a lot and the dam really liked them.  One puppy (number 7 pup) in this litter literally would find the little boy from birth!  He crawled the length of the whelping box when he was few hours old to get to Jaden. AS the pup got older, people would come by the house to see the puppies.  This pup NEVER showed interest in anyone but Jaden!  As soon as Jaden came in this pup was at the pens edge all excited for this little boy!  When it came time to take this pup home, as I handed him and his parents the pup I stated, “ In all the years I have had puppies, I have never seen a puppy so strongly choose its owner.  I don’t know what God has in store for you all on this journey but I am sure it is very special”.  I never dreamed how prophetic these words would be.   Just 3 short weeks later I received a phone call at 5:30 AM saying something was wrong!  We met at the vets office and come to find out the puppy had ate a piece of green bar bait rat poison!  This pup had to be euthanized.  AS we were putting down the puppy all the adults in the room were a mess when Jaden pipes up “KC it is ok!  God decided that he needed a new hunting dog and of all the hunting dogs on earth he choose my Ruffie as his new personal dog! When he gets done retrieving there he will come back!” Needless to say that caused all of us big strong adults to simply cry harder at the simple wisdom and peace of a child!   Fast forward 3 years…another litter of pups from the same parents. Again they come over and again the number 7 male crawls clear across the whelping pen and nestles up against Jaden.  Jaden is just sitting quietly and stroking this lil pup when he looks up and says “ See I told you all my Ruffie was coming back!” Ruffie 2 is still Jaden best friend and hunting partner!  The 3^rdtime I saw a pup choose its owner was from the litter last March.  The number one puppy was a homely lil thing! Honestly, bless his heart I called him “Fugly”.  He had a big ole kink in his tail from where he was squished inside the womb with his littermates.  His tail grew in the shape of his back legs!  His eyes early on were able to look 2 separate directions at the same time!  But this puppy was sound and the vets assured me he would grow into everything!  K.M. and her family had decided they wanted a diabetic alert dog.  K.M. came to my house to spend time with the pups and me when they were 3 weeks old!  I watched this pup do everything he could to get her attention even at that young age. If she tried to hold one of the other pups, he would grab her socks, nip her toes, or tear at her clothes!  She would push him away and he would come back for more!  When the pups turned 7 weeks old I had them litter tested and all the choices were clear except the pup for K.M.  She seemed to really want a different male than the one who choose her so I decided to send her out into the yard to work it out and see what happened.  I left to go take care of some errands when my phone rang. It was K.M.s mother saying “they had been chosen”.  I ask what that meant.  She then explained that this pup had stole the show when he adamantly alerted on her while out in the yard…then he looked up her with the eyes of an angel in him as if to say “I TOLD YOU SO…I AM HERE TO PROTECT YOU!”  Folks, sometimes you just don’t argue with Fate!

These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject of choosing a pup!  Please feel free to contact me and ask more questions if you need to!

What is a Diabetic Alert Dog?

I received numerous inquiries on exactly what is a Diabetic Alert Dog (D.A.D.)…so I am going to try to explain it.
A D.A.D. in simple terms is a dog that alerts to blood glucose levels. In a normal person the average blood glucose reading falls between 80 to 120 at any given time. In a diabetic, it can be a lot higher or lower than that. Highs and lows in a diabetic are very problematic. Most diabetics that I know will tell you they prefer to be a tad on the high side to being low. Any extreme reading leaves you feeling like you got ran over by a Mack Truck! Low blood sugar is called a hypoglycemia. Here is the symptoms of hypoglycemia: “The condition called hypoglycemia is literally translated as low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar (or blood glucose) concentrations fall below a level necessary to properly support the body's need for energy and stability throughout its cells” (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/hypoglycemia). Symptoms of a hypoglycemic episode are described below from http://diabetes.webmd.com/tc/hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar-symptoms
Mild hypoglycemia
Symptoms of mild low blood sugar usually occur when blood sugar falls below 70 mg/dL and may include:
• Nausea.
• Extreme hunger.
• Feeling nervous or jittery.
• Cold, clammy, wet skin and/or excessive sweating not caused by exercise.
• A rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).
• Numbness or tingling of the fingertips or lips.
• Trembling.
Moderate hypoglycemia
If blood sugar continues to fall, the nervous system will be affected. Symptoms usually occur when the blood sugar falls below 55 mg/dL and may include:
• Mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, restlessness, or anger.
• Confusion, difficulty in thinking, or inability to concentrate.
• Blurred vision, dizziness, or headache.
• Weakness, lack of energy.
• Poor coordination.
• Difficulty walking or talking, such as staggering or slurred speech.
• Fatigue, lethargy, or drowsiness.
Severe hypoglycemia
The symptoms of severe low blood sugar develop when blood sugar falls below 35 mg/dL to 40 mg/dL and may include:
• Seizures or convulsions.
• Loss of consciousness, coma.
• Low body temperature (hypothermia).
Prolonged severe hypoglycemia can cause irreversible brain damage and heart problems, especially in people who already have coronary artery disease. If emergency medical treatment is not provided, severe hypoglycemia can be fatal.
As a diabetic who for some reason yet to be determined has had many hypos…………..they stink!!!!!! I have always been energetic, active, and on top of things. The last 10 months I have been stupid!!!!!! I can’t remember stuff and it feels like I am living in a fog, my quality of life went to the tank…but back to the dogs!!!
A DAD alerts to a low blood glucose and some even alert to high blood glucose. The science behind it all has not yet caught up with the action of what the dogs are doing. After they detect the scent of the low or high they then cue the handler or other designated person as to which it is. The possibility of alert cues is endless. Different dogs do different things.
My D.A.D.’s are Bravo and Radar. Bravo is a 4-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever and Radar is a 1 year old Parson Russell Terrier. Bravo’s low alert signal varies slightly as to what I am doing at the time of the hypo. If I am sleeping he will gently paw at me then whine, bark, or lick to get me awake. (I AM A VERY SOUND SLEEPER!) If I am sitting he will place his head on my knee and stare (the kind of stare that goes clear to your soul). If I am moving he will literally stop me and refuse any other command to go forward or do anything else. Bravo came up with these alert cues all on his own…I just had to figure out what he was telling me. It is my belief that he chooses these cues as a result of his training as that is how we communicate with other things. More about Bravo’s alerts later. Radar was a whole different story. I began to notice him mimicking Bravo when I was low…so I decided to make a conscious effort to train him on alerting. Radar is a very aggressive alerter…I don’t know if he will ever make it as a full service dog but he is sure handier at night! Radar is young and is still learning but his alert is to paw or dig at me when the pawing doesn’t work. When I am sitting in the chair he will jump up on the back on my chair and start patting my head with his right paw. If I don’t get the message it he pats at my ear and bumps me with his nose. When I am sleeping it seems he goes straight for my face…since I am a sound sleeper I can’t tell you what all he tries to get my attention but I can tell you what wakes me…Radar digs at my head.

Nighttime alerts are the most interesting to me and often the hardest to teach. Anyone who knows me well will vouch for the fact that you do not touch me to wake me up in the middle of the night or you are liable to get hit. I tend to be reactive about that…hmm maybe that is why I am not married! Anyhow the fact that both of the dogs are willing to risk my wrath speaks volumes.

In later posts I will share with you some of the situations that my dogs have alerted in. So keep on coming back!